Mariano Gotay is the owner of Café Gotay, the premier locale for Garífuna food in the entire country of Guatemala. Mariano is careful about using only the freshest, home-grown ingredients in conjunction with authentic Garífuna recipes passed down through generations. You simply cannot eat at a tourist restaurant and think you've tried authentic Garífuna food without visiting one of Mariano's two restaurants in Livingston. (After all, why would you eat Garífuna food in a Chinese restaurant?)

Friday, March 25, 2011

Garífuna Dish

A Garífuna dish reminds me of the phrase soul food because Garífuna cuisine is a connection between the soul and the satisfaction that allows us to touch each other's life. Food is a source of life, however, when you can convert food into a traditional dish it is a link between you and me.

My name is Mariano Gotay, the owner of Café Gotay in Livingston, Guatemala, serving a vast array of traditional Garífuna dishes. I lived in several different countries which has given me the experience necessary to know what a client looks for in a restaurant. Aside from the extraordinary views of either a quiet river or the bustling center of town you can enjoy at either of my two locations, what you desire is good tasting food. I do not purchase bulk quantities of spices and herbs --- why would I? Livingston's fertile soil is blessed with the footsteps and wisdom of our Garífuna áhari, our ancestors. In your travels around Guatemala you will have tried the usual, traditional Guatemalan fare, but Garífuna cuisine offers a sensory sensation of the likes you won't experience in Antigua, Panajachel, Guatemala City or Petén.

Equally important to the Garífuna culture is the relationship that links us with other cultures through the Garifuna dish. Here is an excerpt from a client who brought her parents to my restaurant for a special occasion.

“Before eating here I spoke with the owner, Mariano Gotay. I told him that I was dying to try the tapado, the traditional Garifuna dish prepared with plantain, coconut milk and lots of seafood, but I was a vegetarian. Mariano did not hesitate and replied that he would prepare a vegetarian tapado that I would love. The food was so flavorful that it almost brought tears to my eyes. Not since my mom’s Jamaican cooking had I experience such vibrant and exciting flavor”.